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Are you using a mouse with you MBP?

M

magimat

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 4, 2010
17
0
Hi,

I will be buying my first macbook whenever the next 13" update comes (I finally convince myself not to buy it now and wait a few months for the next update).

It will be my first mac so right now I am reading a lot of stuff and trying to learn as much as I can about mac world and osx and I read so many good things about the macbook trackpads that I am wondering if a mouse is still a good thing to consider at all with those?

I'm sure the trackpad is great and easy to use on the go, but what about when the laptop is sitting on a table or desktop? Is a mouse still a good idea or is it so good that a real mouse is never needed?

I was looking at the Apple magic mouse and it's pretty cool, but I'm not sure if it's really a plus?

What do you guys think? Do you have a mouse for use at home?
 
Depends on your style. If you have a relatively simple workspace where you can place your MBP squarely in front of you, then you might not need a mouse.

On the other hand, some of us work in desktop mode whenever we're at home, so we have the a separate monitor, keyboard, probably a stand like the elevator or iRain and use our machines in dual screen mode. Yea we could still use the trackpad but it'd be difficult and not very ergonomic.

I also use my magic mouse on the go, particularly when working with applications where the mousepad's fancy gesture's do me no good.
 
I use it mostly in the same place at my mom's, but it's sitting on a sheet of metal on my rug. At dad's I have an LCD, keyboard, MX Revolution, surround sound, etc. It's actually not bad at all if you don't have an external monitor. If you feel like you need one, pick one up! :)
 
Hold off...

magimat said:
...What do you guys think? Do you have a mouse for use at home?
Click to expand...

I've used mice on every computer I've ever owned, from desktops of course, to a small variety of Windows laptops. So when I decided to give a Mac a go (2010 13" MBP), automatically I bought the mouse along with it. I should have saved my pennies because the trackpad just works so very well. Not only that, but even at full acceleration, when controlled by the mouse, I find that the cursor just doesn't move fast enough or far enough for a given hand movement. Long story short, give yourself a few days to get to know the trackpad before buying Apple's mouse. Mine's in a drawer.
 
iArch said:
Long story short, give yourself a few days to get to know the trackpad before buying Apple's mouse. Mine's in a drawer.
Click to expand...

Good advice! When I bought mine I thought I'd have to get a mouse but luckily decided to give it a go first. I needed a mouse with my PC because I would find that for any major project the trackpad just wouldn't cut it and I found myself frustrated. With the MBP I haven't felt that way at all, in fact I think using a mouse would now make me less productive! Considering I prefer to use mine on my lap or in bed it's been an unexpected but truly awesome bonus. Turn on tap to click in settings, get used to the trackpad gestures and I bet you'll forget you ever used a mouse ;)
 
I've been using an Apple Magic Mouse with my i5 MBP for about 6 moths now and just love it...I generally have the MBP connected to a Samsung 23" monitor and use it with the Magic Mouse and Apple wireless keyboard in clamshell mode but I even take the Magic Mouse on the road with me when I travel...That mouse ROCKS! :D:apple:
BTT is a must have as well...
 
Last edited:
I have been using my MBP at a dining room table for the last two months without a mouse. The trackpad works fine for me. Sometimes it can cause problems, but usually it's perfectly…perfect.
 
Only while photo editing and gaming. Once you get used to the gestures on your MBP you'll never need a mouse for mundane tasks again.
Unless you game or do photo editing, I don't see the point. (unless you're docking it, then an external keyboard and mouse is good to have so you can run it in clamshell mode)
 
bettertouchtool + Magicprefs' magicmenu make my magic mouse irreplaceable. Do alot of work in CS suite so use mice as much as possible; just got so used to them. the trackpads are god, but for anything other than light use/browsing, i feel lost without a mouse. Miss the accuracy - i always overshoot my mark with the trackpad.
 
no mouse is comparable to the trackpad. period.

i have a macbook pro and i love using the trackpad. the multi-finger gestures really take away the need for a mouse.

the only time i need a mouse is when i play starcraft 2. even then, i am able to pull not using a mouse off if i really want to. wait til you get your machine, play with it for couple weeks, then decide if you want a mouse or not.
 
Daelos said:
bettertouchtool + Magicprefs' magicmenu make my magic mouse irreplaceable.
Click to expand...

yeah thats what i do. not sure if the OP is aware, but you can use this program to make it so you dont even have to click the magic mouse, just tap. its very cool and silent way of computing :)
 
When I use my MBP for just text editing reading news e-mails and listening to music I use only the track pad, but when it comes to graphics like photoshop and indesign, I use MagicMouse.
 
I need a mouse to be able to efficiently play games that require precision pointing and clicking motions. I'm currently using a Logitech USB mouse but am looking into getting a Magic Mouse to replace it. Otherwise the superbly-designed trackpad is sufficient.
 
I use the Logitech Anywhere MX. It works great. I only use the Track pad for zooming the screen when needed ( CTRL+ Slide)
 
I have mine docked with a screen, and use it in dual screen mode. I have a Magic Mouse, but I actually prefer my new Magic Trackpad. Basically the same as in the MBP, but larger. I could not go back to using a mouse now. I only use it for working with some aspects of Photoshop or CAD where a mouse is easier then a trackpad.
 
It's all about personal taste. As trackpads go, the MBP one is really, really nice. However, my preference is for using a mouse most of the time. I got a very nice bluetooth mouse that's smallish but not tiny (MS 5000). If I'm just web surfing or checking email, I won't bother getting it out and, in those instances, the trackpad is great. However, I will definitely use that whenever I need to do serious work.

Compare this with my wife who is fine using her (tiny, crappy) trackpad on her 4-year-old Dell laptop and doesn't have any interest in getting an external mouse no matter how many times I suggest it.

So, you should ask yourself if you typically like having a mouse. If you've mostly used a trackpad before and have been happy with that, I think you'll very much like the one on the MBP.
 
had terrible performance with mouse and external monitor, the magic trackpad however has been nothing but a joy to use along with better touch tools of course.
 
I use my trackpad sparingly. I prefer a mouse and specifically the Logitech Performance MX. If you decide on getting one, stay away from the Mighty Mouse, they stink compared to basically every other one available. I cannot speak though on the Magic Mouse as I haven't used one yet.
 
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